IT appears as if the legal representatives of well-known Geotechnical Engineer, Charles Ceres and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo will go neck-to-neck in court as a result of recent “land-grabbing” claims made by the former president.

At a June 27 press conference, the Opposition Leader accused Ceres of being one of several involved in a massive “land-grabbing” scheme facilitated by the government following the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion. Ceres, along with others like Deputy Director of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA), Aubrey Heath-Retemeyer and Head of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), Trevor Benn have debunked the claims of Jagdeo with documented proof.

On Thursday, Ceres told the media that he was mere moments away from following through with plans to file a court action against Jagdeo; Opposition Member of Parliament, Harry Gill who peddled the same; the Guyana Times Newspaper and possibly the Kaieteur News if these parties do not issue a public retraction of “false” statements made in the public.

However, later that same day, at his weekly press conference, Jagdeo challenged Ceres to do his worst. “He could sue me because what I state is factual,” Jagdeo said. “I am awaiting the lawsuit and the police investigation…I’m daring him to do this.” In his accusations, Jagdeo has brought forward documents which he stated showed Ceres, as of recent, received 4.5 acres at Liliendaal, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and 112 acres in Bohemia in Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne).

While Ceres has stated that he does indeed have 4.5 acres of land in Liliendaal, this was received since 2017 for which he paid G$4M per acre and is paying $200,000 per acre yearly for the lease.

Meanwhile, he has rejected Jagdeo’s remarks once again that he owns or leases any lad in Bohemia. It is on the 4.5 acres of land in Liliendaal, where his office is located, that Ceres invited to media to see that it would also be incredulous for the large building which is there to be constructed in such a short period.

This is after he would have had to clear the land of its previous ’swampy’ state, a condition which is still visible in the areas on other lands unoccupied. Outlining to the media the Opposition Leader’s misdirection, he stated: “Bharrat Jagdeo claimed in his comments to you that I was granted land after the no-confidence motion was passed. The office that you’re sitting in right now is built on that land that he claims I was granted after that no-confidence motion was passed. So, I must be better than Houdini [ a famous illusionist] since I got land sometime this year and there’s this [large] building on that land.” His office opened in March 2018 and marks the only leased land he has; all others owned by him are his personal property.

NO GOVERNMENT TIES

The Groundwater Hydrologist also slammed the Opposition Leader and some media agencies for stating or suggesting that he is a member of the coalition government. Seeking to make it crystal clear that he is in no way affiliated with or has been propelled by the coalition, he laid out several areas he believes are shortcomings of the current government.
He also indicated that the “false” statements of the Opposition Leader can prove damaging to his company and, in extension, the livelihood of his children which is something he takes very seriously.

Ceres also used the occasion to denounce claims coming for those he now seeks to take to court that his wife, Director of the Department of Environment at the Ministry of the Presidency, Ndibi Schwiers, is involved. “My wife is Head of the Department of Environment, I want that to be clear, I have never, since she’s been there, submitted any bids to her department,” he stated.

“We have never submitted a bid to the Department of Energy for any work because I don’t want anyone to see my relationship with my wife as being fueled by nepotism.” For this year, he estimated that he has spent some $120M on development and people while only $6M of this figure came from the government-funded project for works at a Georgetown high school.

Ceres stated that all of his contracts are with foreign-owned companies, apart from Banks DIH for the construction of a parking garage. He believes that Jagdeo is fueled by three R’s: race, resentment and retribution while the country is in need of leaders who are absent of these. “The Leader of the Opposition and Mr. Harry Gill will be given the opportunity and the privilege in court of presenting the lease for the land in Bohemia they claim I have,” he said.

“My life is a public book. I know that I’m free of corruption and the people who know me will never associate corruption with me.”